You Said It: A TSC Weekly Poll: What Does the Labor Market Look Like in Your Area?

John Edwards

Back in August, TheStreet.com asked its readers to report what labor conditions were like in their area. "Tight, tight, tight," came the answers. Yes, job markets coast to coast were as tight as John McCain's smile as he endorsed George W. Bush. From the Northeast to the South, from the Midwest to the Southwest and out to the Northwest and Mountains, readers told of signing bonuses for fast-food jobs and business expansions curtailed by a dearth of qualified employees.

The tight labor markets remain one of the Fed's primary concerns as it weighs further increases in the target fed funds rate , the key short-term interest rate that in turn drives your mortgage and bank-account rates. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan talks up the salutary effects of increased productivity, but as TSC reported last week, he remains concerned that continued labor-market pressures could make inflation spike higher at long last.

So, it's a good time to ask again: What does the labor market look like in your area? And take our weekly stock-market sentiment poll, too.

Here's how you voted.

Question: What does the labor market look like in your area?

Responses: 537 Last updated: Mon Jul 24, 8:57 AM EDT Conditions are very tight, with high wages and intense competition for workers. 36% Conditions are fairly tight, with moderate wage pressures. 41% Conditions are balanced, with neither workers nor employers under much stress. 18% Conditions are fairly depressed, with workers facing moderate difficulty gaining employment. 3% Conditions are very depressed, with workers struggling to be hired. 1%

Question: What's your sentiment on the stock market?

Responses: 532 Last updated: Mon Jul 24, 8:57 AM EDT Very bullish. 9% Somewhat bullish. 45% Neutral. 27% Somewhat bearish. 15% Very bearish. 4%

---